Comfort Yamoah: All the comfort of home

Comfort Yamoah, food service supervisor in West Hall cafeteria, takes her name seriously.

"I've always been a very compassionate person," she says. "In my family, I have always been the caretaker and still am. My family still calls me for advice."

Yamoah, who grew up in Ghana with four brothers and four sisters, came to the United States 20 years ago while her husband, Mills, worked on his doctoral degree.

"My first day in the United States was so scary," Yamoah says. "That is why I go out of my way to make sure international students in West have a shoulder to lean on, since their parents are not here. Just by looking at them, I can tell they're lost."

She says she always helps direct them to where they need to go on campus and makes sure they wear clothes suitable for the weather.

Not only does Yamoah go out of her way to help students in need, but Simone Santiago, food service manager in West Hall, says she is always one of the last workers to leave the cafeteria.

"There are times I will have to say, `Comfort, go home,'" Santiago says. "I will be working or doing paperwork and her son will be outside waiting to pick her up in the afternoons. There are days when I know he waits for 30 and 45 minutes because she is helping me," Santiago says.

Aside from work, Yamoah is a world traveler. She has visited all of the West African countries, Germany, England, France and eight U.S. states.

Although she loves traveling, she is very proud to be a resident of the United States.

"I love America because there is so much opportunity here," Yamoah says. "My dream is for my son to go to a university in the United States. That will fulfill all of my dreams."

Her son, whom Yamoah says hopes to become a pediatrician some day, will graduate from Denton High School in May.

BY JENNY McCORMACK paiswri2@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue:

• UNT sets fourth annual Equity and Diversity Conference
• UNT kicks off Black History Month celebration
• Second Spring Vision 2015 Forum scheduled March 1
• New program to help fill teacher shortage
• Conference concerts feature world premieres
• Merchandising school wins international award
• Efficiency saves time and money when mailing
• Five TAMS students named semifinalists in national Intel science competition
• UNT faculty member receives NEA Creative Writing Fellowship
• Parent education conference planned
• Answerline

homepage